Grading machine



Jan. 10, 1933. w, GHENT 1,893,938

GRADING MACHINE Filed April 21, 1931 I nun Q minim V I, 1 g, 25 IINVENTOR Patented 19, 1933 g'FATES WILLIAlfi-I E. GHENT, OF ATLANTA, NEWYORK, ASSIGNOR TO BOGGS MAI-IUFACTURENG CORPORATION, OF ATLANTA, NEWYORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK GRADING MACHINE Application filed April21,

The present invention relates to a grading machine and has for itsobject ,to provide an improved machine of this type for handling variousarticles and one which is particularly adapted for grading or sortingdifferent kinds of fruits and vegetables.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a machine of thisclass, having a roller driven grading belt of the perforated or meshtype, means associated with the roller designed to prevent injury to thearticles by being caught between said roller and-belt during advancementof the latter.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means forcausing the articles to move inwardly from the edges of a ,mesh.orperforated grading belt having adjacent its edges links or openings ofa smaller 7 siZe than those provided for grading the articles, wherebysuch articles as may lodge upon the smaller links or within the smalleropenings are moved inwardly toward the center of the belt where they maypass through I the larger openings instead of being carried forward anddelivered with the articles discharging at the end of the belt.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a machine of theclass described apparatus of asimpl practical, and ellicient nature forefiectively sorting or grading a variety of articles of different sizes.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvementsand combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the endof the specification.

in the drawing: 4

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the invention; 7

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view showthe position of the articledisplacing means with respect to the grading belt;

l? 3 is a perspective view drawn to an enlarged scale showing theapplication of one of the displacing members to a frameof the machine;

Fig. l is a plan view ofthe driving rolle for the belt;

1931. Serial No. 531,639.

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective looking at one end of the roller, and II Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken transversely through the roller,drawn to an enlarged s scale and showing the position assumed by thelinks of the belt in passing around the roller. v

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate thesame parts. i

The present invention embodies a sorting or so grading machine of thelink-belt type driven by a roller of angular construction and, aboutwhich the successive rows of links travel. The belt shown is of thewire-mesh type and; it has been found that the most effective type ofroller for a belt of this kind is one which is rectangular in crosssection with its faces each of a width equal substantially to thecombined lengths of two links or link: sections. WVith these proportionsthe link sections will hinge orpivot about the corners of the roller andapproximately at the center of the upper side thereof in the somewhatarched 'manner shown in Fig. 6. In the operation of'the belt in thismanner a considerable space is left between the arched links and theroller at the topthereof and it has been found that the potatoes orother articles of relatively small proportions car ried by the beltsometimes project through the links sufficiently to be crushed orinjured through engagementwith the roller. One of the objects of theinvention is, therefore, to overcome this objectionable feature;- andthis has been done in a satisfactory manner by the use of suitablemembers, such for example as cleats or strips placed at the centers ofthe angularly. disposed faces of the belt driving roller as describedhereinafter.---

It has also been found that with a belt of the kind employed, embodyinga staggered arrangement of links, that one of the end links in each rowor section is necessarily of less width than the main links andconstitutes what may be termed a half-link. When the vegetables or otherarticles to be graded are delivered to the conveyor it is intended tohave all of those-below a certain size pass through the openings of thelinks before they have been advanced any considerable distance. However,it has been found that a certain percentage of the smaller articles findtheir way to the half-links and become wedged therein or lodged thereonso that they are carried forward and discharged with the larger articlesat the end of the conveyor, which of course is objectionable. Means hasalso been provided as described hereinafter for overcoming thisdifficulty in the use of a belt of the type shown.

Referring to the drawing, 10 represents the side rails or members of aframe or base supported by legs or standards 11 and 12, as shown inFig. 1. Disposed between the side members 10 is a suitable grading belt13 preferably of the wire-mesh type and to which the articles to begraded are delivered, preferably by a feed belt 14 having cleats 15 foradvancing the articles. The belt 14 is supported by and arranged tooperate between a pair of suitably connected side frame members 16having trunnions 17 thereon supported within the notched upper ends of apair of arms 18 suitably connected with the standards 11. The feed belt14 and its supporting frame comprises a unit which can be readilydetached from the grading or sorting unit by lifting it to move thetrunnions 17 out of the notches 18, said feed belt serving to deliverthe articles to a downwardly inclined apron 19 overlying the gradingbelt 13.

The grading belt is carried at its receiving end by a roller 20 thejournals 21 of which are rotatably mounted in the sides 10 of thesupporting frame. The driving roller for the belt, designated by thereference character 22, has a shaft 23 extending therethrough, the endsof which are supported by the side rails 10 of the frame, preferably inadvance of the standards 12 as shown in Fig.

1. Any suitable means, not shown, may be provided for driving the shaft23 and roller thereon to advance the belt. Intermediate rollers 24 aresupported by the side rails 10 to prevent sagging of the upper flight ofthe belt. The lower flight of the belt is allowed to sag as indicated inorder to provide space between it and the upper flight for any suitablemeans, not shown, for receiving the articles, which by reason of theirsize pass through the openings in the upper flight. Such articles asremain on the belt are carried over the end of the latter and dischargedfor collection within a suitable receptacle not shown.

The belt. indicated generally at 13, is in the form of a light flexiblechain comprising preferably a plurality of sections of wire each formedto provide longitudinally thereof a series of loops or links 25, eachsection having at one end a relatively narrow or halflink 26, madenecessary by the staggered arrangement of the links of the differentadjacently mounted sections. The openings formed by the links 25 are ofa size and shape adapted to permit the passage therethrough of thearticles which are of a smaller size than those to be selected for aparticular use or purpose. The sections are hingedly connected and eachmay be considered as a perforated element of the link type having at oneend a relatively small opening as compared to the main or standard sizeopenings.

As stated above, difliculty has been experienced heretofore with therelatively small articles becoming wedged within or lodged upon thehalf-links 26 at the edges of the belt. which results in their beingcarried forward and delivered to a receptacle, not shown, for receivingthe larger articles. This difficulty has, however, been overcome byproviding at the edges of the belt deflecting means, preferablycomprising flexible or yieldable loopshapcd members 27, formed of rubberor other suitable material and attached to the side rails 10, as bymeans of a plurality of nails 28. The members 27 are placed just inadvance of the downwardly inclined apron 19 to which the articles aredelivered by the conveyor belt 14. In this position, the deflectingmembers 27 serve to direct the articles at the opposite edges of thebelt toward the center thereof during the initial advancing periods sothat the comparatively small articles, which at these points may havelodged upon the half-links, are displaced or pushed there-- from by themembers 27 and directed toward the center of the belt for dischargethrough the larger openings of the links. The members 27 therefore serveto prevent the carrying forward of the relatively small articles whichaccumulate upon the half-links at points between said members and thereceiving apron 19 in the rear thereof. Injury to the articles, such asfruits or vegetables, which move into contact with the displacingmembers is prevented by reason of the flexibility or yielding qualitiesof said members, which are preferably formed of a comparatively softgrade of rubber.

The means for preventing injury to the articles by being caught betweenthe faces of the driving roller 22 and the angularly dis posed links 25passing over the top of the roller is preferably in the form of aplurality of strips 29 extending longitudinally of the roller andsecured thereto by any suitable means such as the screws 30 shown inFigs. 5 and 6. The strips 29 may be of any suitable shape and size bestadapted to prevent the articles from projecting through the openings ofthe links into engagement with the angularly disposed faces of theroller and from being caught between said parts and crushed or injuredby reason of the pressure exerted thereon by the links moving relativeto the roller during advancement of the belt. The strips are preferablymade detachable so that others of different proportions may be appliedin cases where it may be desired to use different belts from time totime having links of larger or smaller proportions than those shown toaccommodate articles of different size.

\Vhile I have shown what may be termed a preferred embodiment of theinvention, it will be understood that the inventive idea disclosedherein may be carried out in other ways and the invention therefore isnot to be limited to the precise details described but is intended tocover all modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. A machine for grading articles comprising a frame, an endlessbelt thereon for grading the articles comprising a series oftransversely extending links, rolls carried by the frame for supportingthe belt one of which comprises a driving roll for the belt having aplurality of angularly disposed faces forming corners on the roll eachface corresponding in width substantially to the combined lengths of aplurality of the links so that the latter will swing one upon anothersubstantially about the advancing corners of said roll, and stripssecured to and extending longitudinally of the faces of said drivsets attheir points of connection pivoting about the corners of the roll duringrotation thereof and the individual links of each set assuming differentangular positions with respect to each face of the roll when inoverlying relation with respect thereto, and a cleat secured on eachface of the driving roll in position to underlie the openings of thelinks in registry therewith during rotation of said driving roll.

WILLIAM E. GHENT.

ing roll between the extremities of the faces and serving to guard theopenings of the links whereby to hold the articles against passagethrough the openings to the roll to prevent them from being crushedbetween the links and the roll.

2. In a. machine for grading articles, a frame, an endless link-beltthereon, rolls upon the frame for supporting the belt, one of whichcomprises a driving roll rectangular in cross section the sides of whichare of equal width and the width of each corresponding approximately tothe length of two of the links of the belt whereby to insure pivoting ofthe links about each advancing corner of the roll in sets of twos and atthe same time effecting the outward movement of the connected ends ofeach set of links at a point substantially midway between the corners ofthe roll during rotation of the latter, and a :relatively narrow stripsecured to each side of the roll at the center thereof to underlie theconnected ends of the links of each set during pivoting of the linksabout the advancing corners of the roll,'said strips terminating shortof the corners of said roll and extending substantially the full lengthof the roll.

3. A machine for grading articles, comprising a frame, an endlesslink-belt thereon for grading the articles, rolls upon the frame forsupporting the belt, one of which comprises a four-sided driving rollfor the belt of a length substantially equal to the width of the beltthe faces of the driving roll each corresponding substantially in widthto the overall length of a selected set of links, said

